Dino is a 6 month old blue with white/blue nose pit bull. He was surrendered by his owners to a local shelter for euthanasia due to animal aggression, but the shelter staff were so impressed with Dino's loveable personality that they sent out a request for rescue placement. Dino has been fostered since 10/28 with an adult female dog and numerous cats. So far, he has been a perfect gentleman with the cats and a little rude with the other dog. While his obedience and doggy play skills may need polishing, Dino already knows basic commands and house manners. He is very sweet and mellow for his age and would do well in just about any pit bull-savvy home. Potential adopters should have breed experience if only because it was a misunderstanding of dog behavior that got Dino surrendered to a shelter in the first place.

Wow! Just got an email forwarded from Dino's original owner sent to YCSPCA about his petfinder listing. She didn't argue with anything in his bio (other than that it was a behavior misunderstanding that landing him in the shelter), but she claims he was hell on wheels from day one, got kicked out of daycare for fighting, started fights with submissive dogs, went after the other dog in the house, etc. How much weight should I give this account of Dino vs what I'm seeing with my own eyes? I literally can't believe this is the same dog she's describing!

don't panic. We tested him pretty heartily up against some pretty snarling beasts and he was more than willing to leave it. What she actually said was "this pup needed socialization around other dogs so I dropped him off at a doggy day care where someone could watch him". She goes on to tell us we are out of our minds, and if we knew half of what she, and the "trainers"' who said to kill him, we would know that death was the right answer... She knew enough to recognize needing socialization, but promptly set him up to fail by placing him in a completely overstimulating environment. I'm sorry, but asking anyone else to do her work was wrong. Needing socialization means, to me, exposing doggy to the offending stimulous slowly and only to the degree that doggy can handle without a negative reaction.

For Dino, he may well be a total opportunist so adopter should be wilier than that cute puppy. Just a small dose of "anticipation" and his adopter will be just fine.

Lastly, I have heard of a week in Quarantine building curing certain ills. Once I had a foster litter belonging to the shelter and a nasty little beast shot himself straight into Q because of his behavior while with me (myself I would have off'd him) . He sat back there a week and was then re-evaluated where no one could illcit any similar reaction. You might think he was just shut down, but a year after the shelter placed him, they followed up and he remained a delightful and reasonable pup. weird, i know.

It's possible that Dino was hell on wheels, but his isolation, stress and rescue and the passage of time and landing in a qualified foster spot means he has put together the necessary skills to not behave like anass. Many thanks for helping him walk, rather than be rolled out of there. After you left with him, the clerks and I did a happy dance in your, and Dino's honor.